The titanic Northwest bookstore with five brick and mortar storefronts all over Portland, Or. has its expansive inventory available online. As the Oregonian points out, the push received by popular literary retailer from Stephen Colbert has positioned it as the go-to alternative to Amazon's services. As a longtime Powell's customer, I can attest to how much it deserves to be the place to buy books. They love their product and as much as their customers do, and that enthusiasm makes for unparalleled customer service.

Admittedly, it is hard to browse the Strand's storied inventory without thinking about the awe-inspiring stacks that make up its 18 miles of books in New York City's East Village. What it lacks in algorithms, the Strand makes up for in creative means of curating their books, like the Author's Bookshelf Series, where popular, award-winning writers put together a shelf of unmissable books from what the Strand has to offer. This enables shoppers to find new favorites from writers they trust plus new writers with whom they have favorite titles in common.

Even if Harrisburg's own Midtown Scholar (owned by Mayor Eric Papenfuse) is not open when you want to buy books, readers can still get the benefit of browsing their city-block of competitively-priced used books (if you cannot kick Amazon, you can still order from the Midtown Scholar there). Their inventory is, unfortunately, limited to the books they buy and that are sold to them, but if they have what you want -- from their shelves as well as their warehouse, both of which can be accessed online -- you know your money is staying local and you are contributing to a culture of reading and book-loving in the midstate.

If a book does not come out on a press with a major distributor, it can be hard to obtain through not only Amazon, but even independent booksellers. Enter Small Press Distribution, which, if you have never shopped there, is like passing into Narnia. Start with theirbestsellerlists, which are frequent shoppers' means of guiding new shoppers into the realm of independent publishing.

It can hardly be said better than SPD says it in their own mission statement: "When you buy a book from Small Press Distribution, you don't just get something terrific to read: you help independent publishers and writers keep more money from their projects, which in turn helps nurture and sustain the literary arts as a whole."

They are not just a spectacular weekend destination with stores in Frederick, Hagerstown and Gaithersburg, Md. Wonderbook also has their cavernous collection of books -- and games! And movies! And music! -- available to snap up online. With the most diverse offerings, Wonderbook might just compel you to take your bookshopping offline and see what they and other retailers who have weathered Amazon's takeover of the book market have to offer.

If they have survived, it must be for a reason: These stores and services love books and want to share them with the people who love them.

Have you given up on Amazon? If you do not use their services, how do you shop for books online? Comment below and let us know.